CBC News
· collected 2026-10-10 · by Roxanna Woloshyn and Adrienne Arsenault
He was ready to fight in the 'war on terror.'
asserted
He → fight → terror
This post-9/11 veteran looks back at his decision to enlist
First interviewed by CBC News as a new recruit, Barry Sward recounts his war experience 24 years later
On Sept. 11, 2001, Barry Sward, a high school senior in Woodbridge, Va., watched the collapse of the twin towers on TV and knew he had made the right decision.
asserted
he → look → decision
He had already enlisted to become a U.S. marine.
asserted
He → enlist → ?
Emboldened by a national tragedy, he now had an enemy to fight.
asserted
he → embolden → enemy
"There was a spike of revenge … and I did want to get the people that did this and hurt them really bad.
asserted
that → be → them
I don't know why they're doing it," he told CBC News chief correspondent Adrienne Arsenault, who at the time was reporting on post-9/11 military recruitment.
asserted
who → know → recruitment
In July 2002, he would start basic training at Parris Island, S.C., and just months later was part of the first units to enter Iraq as part of U.S. President George W. Bush's so-called "war on terror."
asserted
he → start → terror
After Sept. 11, 2001, U.S. veterans are about twice as likely as those who signed up before them to have served in a combat zone, according to a 2019 Pew Research survey that polled 1,284 veterans.
uncertain
that → sign → veterans
As a result, they are more likely to have been scarred by the battle wounds of war — not only physically, but mentally, too.
asserted
they → scar → war
In that same survey, half of the respondents said they had emotionally traumatic or distressing experiences, yet only a third sought help to deal with what they faced.
asserted
they → say → what
CBC News chief correspondent Adrienne Arsenault, left, sits with U.S. marine vetreran Barry Sward, who shares photos and mementoes he saved from his time serving in Iraq in 2003, including a half pack of cigarettes, cassettes and his service cap.
asserted
he → sit → cigarettes
In August of this year, Arsenault tracked down an almost unrecognizable Sward in Falmouth, Va., 24 years after their first interview.
asserted
Arsenault → track → interview
She asked him: "Are you the same person you were when you went in?"
asserted
you → ask → him
"No, definitely not," said Sward, now facing the effects of that deployment to Iraq — a resulting back injury and a PTSD diagnosis.
asserted
Sward → say → Iraq
In the days and months after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, media reports described long lines at military recruitment offices made up of young people who wanted to fight for their country.
asserted
who → describe → country
"Post-9/11, you have a burst of patriotism and a need to serve, and there are plenty of stories of people who immediately left their jobs, went down to a recruiting station, or finally decided that they were gonna join," said Jason Dempsey, a scholar of American civil military relations at Columbia University.
asserted
Dempsey → have → University
"But that was not the majority of folks entering service.
asserted
that → enter → service
And in the grand scheme of things was a very temporary blip."
Sward, seen here in 2002, participated in basic training at Parris Island, S.C., as part of his preparations in the U.S. marine corps beginning in July 2002.
asserted
participated → see → July
Numbers provided by the four primary branches of the military don't show a dramatic rise in enlistment immediately following Sept. 11 compared to other years.
asserted
Numbers → provide → years
Dempsey said the most common reasons for someone to join the military is a history of service in their families, a desire for financial security or educational opportunities and enlisting during a period of high unemployment.
asserted
someone → say → unemployment
Regardless of their reason for signing up, that generation of post-9/11 fighters would go on to participate in long-lasting wars in Afghanistan and Iraq — the latter of which saw U.S. foces officially withdraw just last month.
asserted
foces → sign → which
Serving in Iraq was 'frustrating'
asserted
Serving → serve → Iraq
In March 2003, as part of the global war on terror, U.S. President Bush announced forces would be invading Iraq if then-president Saddam Hussein did not leave.
asserted
Hussein → announce → Iraq
Days later, Sward's unit, the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines, crossed into the country.
asserted
unit → cross → country
Their mission was to secure bridges in a highly defended enemy territory so troops could ultimately make their way to Baghdad.
uncertain
troops → secure → Baghdad
March 23, 2003, is a day that haunts Sward.
asserted
that → haunt → Sward
It was the beginning of a deadly fight known as the Battle of Nasiriyah.
asserted
It → know → Nasiriyah
Eighteen of his fellow marines died, including a friend he met in basic training.
asserted
he → die → training
There was a lot of screaming, obviously, and we could hear it happening," said Sward.
uncertain
Sward → be → screaming
"And that was the frustrating part — knowing that something else was going on, not too far away from you, but can't do anything about it.
asserted
something → know → it
"
U.S. marines from Task Force Tarawa duck as a helicopter fires a missile that destroys a building during a deadly gun battle on March 23, 2003, in the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah.
asserted
that → duck → Nasiriyah
While there, his unit was tasked with patrolling inside the city and looking for leadership and evidence of weapons of mass destruction.
asserted
unit → task → destruction
Bush rationalized the invasion of Iraq on unverified U.S. intelligence that the country's leadership was harbouring destructive devices that would cause massive damage to populations if deployed.
uncertain
that → rationalize → populations
In the years since, no evidence was ever found that those weapons existed.
asserted
weapons → find → years
During the interview in August, Arsenault asked Sward what it was like knowing this in hindsight.
asserted
it → ask → hindsight
Still proud to have served, but maybe there were some political aspects that were at play in the background," said Sward.
asserted
Sward → serve → background
More than 7,000 troops died in post-9/11 wars, according to research from Brown University's Costs of War project, and four times as many U.S. military personnel have died by suicide in the years since.
uncertain
personnel → die → years
Since then, those wars have been looked at with a critical eye as to whether they accomplished what they set out to do.
asserted
they → look → what
That same Pew Research survey found that 64 per cent of veterans say the war in Iraq was not worthwhile, and similarly, 58 per cent said the same about Afghanistan.
asserted
cent → find → Afghanistan
Post-9/11 vets made progress addressing PTSD
Sward's time serving in Iraq was cut short.
asserted
time → make → Iraq
…and 17 more, not listed.
The Aporia
